If conventional medical therapies prove unsuccessful or have unwanted side effects, many people choose to pursue complementary or alternative therapies (CAM). Complementary therapies are done in addition to traditional medical treatments, and alternative therapies are done instead of medical treatments. Many CAM modalities exist and they can be roughly grouped into several categories including herbal/dietary, somatic therapies (such as acupuncture or massage), mind-body therapies (such as hypnosis or meditation), and movement or breathing exercises (such as yoga or tai chi). In this review we will discuss each of these categories, focusing on those that have been studied most rigorously.

The "functional" gut disorders are syndromes (groups of symptoms) believed to arise from the gastrointestinal tract, but which lack a known cause. The purpose is to update the criteria upon which the diagnoses of functional gut disorders rest.

Unfortunately, the word "hypnosis" often conjures up a whole variety of frequently quite negative connotations even within the medical profession. Many equate the phenomenon with the mind being taken over by the hypnotist and with loss of control by the recipient, which needless to say, is completely erroneous. As a consequence of this, the whole subject is surrounded by a cloud of mystery, which regrettably is often encouraged by those who practice the technique. Reviewed 2009.

Pain, a burning or otherwise uncomfortable sensation in the upper abdomen, nausea, or fullness - all of these are symptoms many patients list when they seek medical advice. While we may think of ulcers, gallstones or perhaps inflammation of the pancreas as the cause, all too often even extensive and sophisticated testing does not show any abnormalities. So, why do all these persons feel pain or any of the other symptoms they report?

The anatomical diseases Crohn’s, peptic ulcer, and esophagitis have functional counterparts with some similar symptoms; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), dyspepsia, and functional heartburn, but these cannot be identified by x-ray or gastroscopy. Thus, for the diagnosis of these functional disorders doctors must rely entirely upon the patient’s description of his or her symptoms.

One of the most common symptoms is pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen. It is known that one in four people in the community have upper abdominal distress at times. This can be caused by a large number of medical conditions, including peptic ulcer disease, gallstones, esophageal inflammation (esophagitis), and very rarely cancer, to name the major conditions. However, there remain a large number of people who after being investigated have none of these medical conditions. Indeed, there is no obvious cause for their symptoms. Patients who have this type of dyspepsia are referred to as suffering from functional dyspepsia.

Symptom overlap is common among several functional GI disorders. For instance, care must be taken not to confuse functional dyspepsia with other common disorders that may cause upper gastrointestinal distress, like heartburn, IBS, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), functional abdominal bloating, and functional biliary disorders. This article compares two common functional GI disorders - functional dyspepsia and IBS.